ACT becomes first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise cannabis for personal use

The first Australian parliament has voted to legalise personal use of cannabis.

The ACT Legislative Assembly passed a private member's bill on Wednesday from Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson that would allow Canberrans over the age of 18 to possess 50 grams of cannabis and grow two plants.

Mr Pettersson posted on Facebook the bill had been passed, but it would not come into effect until January 31, 2020, provided the ACT health minister signs off on it.

“There’s been a lot of debate since I proposed and moved this bill, and I’m proud the assembly has now sided with the people,” he said.

“Your life shouldn’t be ruined for the ‘crime’ of having a few grams of cannabis in your draw.

“This will change that.”

During the assembly ACT shadow attorney-general Jeremy Hanson said the bill was poorly drafted and the Liberal party would not support it.

He said it did not address how the legalisation would work with current drug driving laws and it failed to acknowledge the “very real” health risks associated with the heavy use of cannabis.

The Greens backed the bill put forward by Mr Pettersson.

The Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform (FFDLR) praised the decision.

“A small step forward on drug law reform which is willing to remove criminal sanctions from personal drug use and treat problematic use in the health system where it should be,” it tweeted.

The use of medicinal marijuana only was legalised in Victoria in 2016, with Western Australia and NSW allowing prescriptions to obtain the drug shortly after.

Queensland and Tasmania legalised it for medicinal purposes in 2017 but South Australia and the Northern Territory are yet to allow it.

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